File-cabinet.



W. A. HARRIS. FILE CABINET.

v APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 30, 1909. 974,663, Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

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W. A. HARRIS.

FILE CABINET.

I AP' PLIOATIONTILED AUG. 30, 1909- 974,663. Patented Nov. 1,1910.

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Patented Nov. 1

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W. A. HARRIS.

FILE GABINET. 'AIPLIOATION FILED AUG. 30. 1909.

Patented Nov. 1,1910.

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W. A. HARRIS.

FILE CABINET. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, 1909.

Patented Nov. 1 1910.

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R m w W WITH/58858 fi jzpm 1212511211 15 Arm/mm nnrrnn s'rnrns Parana orrrcn WILLIAM A. HARRIS, 0F GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE W. TAYLOR, OF GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA.

FILE-CABINET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Greenville, in the county of Greenville and State of South Carolina, have in-- vented certain new and useful Improvements in File-Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cabinets for accounts, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein de: scribed and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a device which will hold the daily sales-slips, or bills, such as are commonly used in grocery stores, markets, and the like, in such a manner that they may be readily accessible so that the separate account of each customer may be kept without the necessity of the ordinary book-keeping system.

A further object of my invention is to provide a cabinet in which each customers sales slips are kept in a separate drawer which may be opened by mechanism in response to pressure upon a single lever, after setting the number wheel, which corresponds with the customers number.

A further object of my invention is to provide a number wheel having two rows of consecutive numbers which may be revolved to bring the numbers of one row in registration with the opening, and which, when further revolution has been efiected, will cause the closing of the first opening and theuncovering of the second opening for the registration of the numbers of the second row.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference characters indicate like parts in the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front view showing one embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the device, the back portion of the casing being removed, Fig. 3 is a horizontal section along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a horizontal section along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, Fig. 6 is a detail front view of a portion of the cabinet, certain parts being in section,'Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the drawer operating arm, Figs. 8 and 9 are plan views of the number wheels, the arc-shaped top being removed, Fig. 10 is a vertical section along the line 10-10 of Fig. 8, Fig. 11 is 'a vertical section along the line 11l1 of Fig. 9, and

. Fig. 12 is a' perspective view of the oscillating plate for covering or uncovering the numbers on the number wheel.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a rectangular frame or casing 1, of greater height than width, as shown in the drawings. The frame is provided with a hollow base 2, having a, false bottom 3, between which, and the real bottom 4: is disposed a number card 5, (as shown in Fig. 5), the purpose of which will be explained hereinafter.

In the drawings, I have shown three rows of superposed drawers 6, although it will be understood that any number of rows might be used. These drawers are preferably made of metal, and are formed in the shape best shown in Figs. 3 and 5. Each drawer is provided near its forward end with a depressed portion 6 and near its rear end with a member 6 which is stamped out of the bottom of the drawer, bent upwardly and then inwardly. Each drawer is also provided with an opening 6 in its bottom. Each row of drawers is carried by the movable frame or casing 7 which is provided with a handle 8 at its lower edge so that the frame with its drawers may be drawn bodily from the main casing 1. The

division strips 9 separate the side frames from the center frame so that each row of drawers is in a compartment by itself. The sides of the drawers 6 are inclined as shown at 6 in Fig. 6, and their bottoms rest on Fig.5, it will be observed that the stop member 6 of one drawer will engage the depressed portion 6 of the drawer immediately above it so as to limit its outward movement. Each of the drawers is provided at .its front end with a cut-away portion 6 which serves the double purpose of permitting the-withdrawal of the drawer from the front and also allows clearance for the stop member 6 so that each drawer can be pulled or pushed forwardly without interfering with the one above it.

In the bottom part of the casing 1 I arrange a series of rotatable rods or shafts 11.

Each of these shafts is provided at its rear end with a sprocket wheel 12. The sprocket chains 13 pass around the sprockets 12, and over idler sprockets 11 at the top of the easing. Disposed in line with one side of each of the chains 13 are the rods 15, which extend from the top to the bottom of the casing, and are revoluble about their axes, as a center. Each of the rods 15 is provided with a device such as that shown in Fig. 7. This consists of a yoke 16 having a laterally extending arm 17 secured to it so that when the rod 15 is turned, the arm 17 is carried around with it.

Disposed upon the rod 15 between the arms of the yoke 16 is a plate 18 provided with openings 18*. A removable plate 19 is provided with similar openings 19 adapted to register with the openings 18 and is arranged to clamp the chain 13 securely to the plate 18. This may be accomplished by means of the bolts 18* and nuts 18 in the manner shown in Fig. 2, so that when the chain is moved, the yoke 16, together with the arm 17 will be carried up or down. A counter-weight 24- is secured to the chain on the opposite side of the sprocket wheel, and serves to balance the movable arm 17 and the yoke 16.

Each of the rods 15 is provided with an arm 20 at its lower end, which is pivotally connected by means of the link 21 to a bellcrank lever 22 pivoted at 23 to the false bottom 3. The front part of the lever 22 is flattened so as to provide a handle 22. The

lever 22 is kept normally in the position shown at the right and left of Figs. 3 and 4 by means of the spring 25, which is attached to the false bottom, but may be moved into the position shown at the center of the figures against the tension of the spring.

Secured to the front end of each of the shafts 11, is a hand wheel 26 for turning the same, and between the hand wheel and the casing 1 is a number wheel 27. The construction of this number wheel is best set forth in Figs. 8 to 12, inclusive. It consists of a cylinder 27" having thereon two rows of numbers, 27 and 27 (see Figs. 8 and 9). Loosely disposed on the shaft 11 is an oscillating arc-shaped plate 27 provided with an opening 27 e arranged to register with the row 27 and the opening 27 arranged to register with the row 27. The plate 27 is mounted 011 the shaft 11 by means of the arm 27 The latter has an opening 27 through which the screw 27 projects, (see Fig. 5). The latter loosely opening '27 is secured to the main casing 1..

The inner circle 27 is divided into a series of numbered divisions corresponding to one-half of the drawers in the row immediately above it, while the outer circle 27 has numbers corresponding to the other half of the row. As the numbered cylinders revolve, the pin 27" will engage the projections on the lower part on the member 27 thereby turning the latter about its pivot 27, and causing the shifting of the arm 27 and therefore of the plate 27 so as to bring either one of the openings 27 or 2'7 into registration with the opening 27 in the plate 27. The cylinder may therefore be turned one revolution and the numbers will be exposed in the opening 27 On continu ing the revolution of the cylinder, however. the pin 27 will cause the shifting of the plate so as to close the opening 2" and to bring the opening 27 f into registration with the opening 27 thereby exposing the outer row of figures. It will thus be seen that only one row of the two 011 the number cylinder is exposed at one time, and as the numbers are arranged consecutively, one cylinder will provide for twice the numbers that could be used with only one registering opening, and

one row of numbers.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. In using the device, each customers bills are placed in a particular drawer. The customer is given a. number, as for instance, 25, and this number is recorded on the sheet 5, disposed in the bottom of the device, opposite the customers name, for reference in case his numb enshould not be known. If a customer desires a statement of his account, the merchant looks at the card to ascertain the customers number, unless he remembers it, and then turns the hand wheel 26 so as to bring the number designated into view, in the opening 27 The revolution of the shaft 11 and the sprocket wheels 12 causes the travel of the chain 13 and the upward movement of the arm 17, a distance corresponding to the distance through which the wheel is turned, 2'. 6., until the arm 17 is immediately behind the drawer 25. The lever 22 is now pressed to the left in the manner indicated in the central rows of figures 3 and 4. This causes a quarter turn of the rod 15 and of the arm 17, and the drawer is forced forward into the position shown in Fig. 5 when the bills may be taken therefrom, and presented to the customer. It will thus be seen that there will be no necessity of running over an index, and then hunting for the customers account in the ledger, but by merely turning the hand wheel to bring the proper number in view, and pressing the lever, bills already made out may be taken from the drawer which is thrust forward. Immediately on the release of the lever 22, the arm 17 swings backward into its original position, so that the drawer can be pushed in.

The frames containing the rows of drawers may be removed bodily from the casing 1, and put into the safe at night.

Obviously more or less rows of drawers might be used, without departing in the least from the spirit of the invention.

1 claim:

1. A filing cabinet comprising a frame, a plurality of drawers therein, a number wheel provided with parts corresponding to the drawers and arranged to be exposed singly and a drawer opening device adapted to be brought into operative relation with any of said drawers by a movement of the number wheel.

2. A filing cabinet comprising a main casing, a frame arranged to fit into said main casing, a plurality of superposed drawers carried by said frame, a number wheel provided with numbers corresponding to the drawers arranged to be exposed singly, a drawer opening device and means actuated by the movement of the number wheel for bringing said drawer opening device into operative relation with the drawer corresponding with the number exposed.

8. A filing cabinet comprising' a main casing, a removable frame arranged to fit into said main casing, a plurality of superposed drawers carried by said frame, a number wheel having numbers corresponding to the drawers, means for exposing the numbers singly, a single lever arm for moving any of the drawers, means actuated by the movement of the wheel for bringing the lever arm into operative relation with the drawer corresponding to the number exposed and means for causing the engagement of said lever arm with the drawer for opening the same.

at. A filing cabinet comprising a main casing, a removable frame arranged to fit into said main casing, a plurality of superposed drawers carried by said frame, a number wheel having numbers corresponding to the drawers, a plate provided with an opening for exposing a single number, a vertically movable arm adapted to be actuated by a movement of said number wheel, means for moving said arm into operative relation with the drawer corresponding to the nu1nber exposed on the number wheel and means for causing a lateral movement of the arm to bring it into engagement with the drawer selected.

A filing cabinet comprising a main casing, a removable frame arranged to fit into said main casing, a plurality of superposed drawers carried by said frame, a number wheel having numbers corresponding to the drawers, a plate secured to said main casing and provided with an opening for ex posing a number, a vertically extending rod at the rear of said row of drawers, an arm slidably secured to said rod, means controlled by the number wheel for moving said arm up and down the rod, and means for rotating said rod, thereby bringing the arm into engagement with the rear end of the drawer, corresponding to the number exposed on the number wheel so as to push the drawer forward.

6. A filing cabinet comprising a main casing, a removable frame arranged to fit into said main casing, a plurality of superposed drawers carried by said frame, a number wheel having numbers corresponding to the drawers, a plate secured to said casing and provided with an opening for exposing a single number on the number wheel, a vertically extending rod at the rear of said row of drawers, an arm slidably secured to said rod, 'a sprocket wheel on the number wheel shaft, a chain arran ed to be moved by said sprocket wheel, sai arm being secured to said chain and being moved by the chain to a position behind the drawer corresponding to the number exposed on the number wheel, and means for rotating said arm so as to bring it into engagement with the rear end of the drawer, thereby pushing the latter forward.

7. In a filing cabinet, a main casing, a removable frame arranged to fit into said main casing, a plurality of superposed drawers carried by said frame, a shaft mounted in said casing beneath said superposed drawers, a number wheel on the front end of said shaft and a sprocket wheel on the rear end, a second sprocket wheel mounted at the top of said casing, a sprocket chain arranged to pass around said sprocket wheels, a vertically disposed rod immediately adjacent the sprocket chain, an arm slidably secured to said rod, and attached to said chain, a lever carried by said casing, and a link connecting said lever with said verti cally disposed rod for rotating the latter.

8. In a filing cabinet, a main casing, a removable frame arranged to fit into said main casing, a plurality of superposed drawers carried by said frame, a shaft mounted in said casing beneath said superposed drawers, a number wheel on the front end of said shaft and a sprocket wheel on the rear end, a second sprocket wheel mounted at the top of said casing, a sprocket chain arranged to pass around said sprocket wheels, a vertically disposed rod immediately adjacent normally inoperative position, said movable 10 the sprocket chain, and provided with a arm being arranged to engage the rear end rigid arm, an arm slidably secured to said of a drawer when the bell-crank lever is rod and attached to said chain a bell-crank turned, and to push the drawer forward. lever pivotally mounted on said casing, a WILLIAM A HARRIS link connecting said bell-crank lever with said rigid arm on said vertically disposed Witnesses:

rod, and a spring secured to said bell-crank SOLON C. KEMON,

lever for holding said movable arm in a I L. A. STANLEY. 

